Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Sporting KC Sign Two More

Sporting Kansas City continued to make over their roster building for the 2017 MLS season, today announcing two more additions to the team to go along with the six the club has already announced so far this offseason. The club announced the signings of Cameron Iwasa and Andrew Dykstra.

Iwasa, a forward who has played the last two years with the Sacramento Republic is 23 years old and continues the clubs move to get younger across their front three. The move means that five of KC's eight signings so far have been for one of the front three positions for Kansas City, with one defender and two goalkeepers being the other positions filled. Iwasa was drafted by the Montreal Impact in the fourth round of the 2015 MLS Superdraft, but was waived by the team during training camp. Iwasa signed with the Republic where he struggled to score his first season, finding the net just once. In 2016 though, Iwasa had a break out year, being on the All-USL second team, he scored 12 goals and added three assists, the 12 goals was the most in the Republic's young, but impressive history. His addition does create a log jam in KC's attack, where Sporting could now technically be three deep at all three of their forward positions with Iwasa, Gerso Fernandes, Latif Blessing, Tyler Pasher, and Christian Volesky, joining Graham Zusi, Dom Dwyer, Cameron Porter, and Daniel Salloi (and that's not including Diego Rubio who is currently on IR after tearing his ACL in October). It makes you wonder if all nine of them will make it through preseason with Sporting or if someone could be traded, let go during preseason, or loaned all season to Swope Park.

Dykstra, Sporting KC's selection in the second stage of this offseason's Re-Entry Draft, comes in and should be penciled in as the back up to Tim Melia. Dykstra's signing will free up the club's other new goalkeeper, Adrian Zendejas, to spend the majority of the season on loan with the Swope Park Rangers so that the 21 year old can continue to get game time. The 31 year old Dykstra comes to Kansas City with plenty of experience in MLS and the lower divisions, playing with DC United and the Chicago Fire in MLS and the Charleston Battery and Richmond Kickers in the USL in his career. He's really only once been a regular starter in his career, and that was in 2010 when he started 17 games for the Fire, more than half his career total in MLS. Last season with DC United he played just one league game, allowing four goals in a 4-1 loss to the LA Galaxy on opening day 2016. His experience though should be a plus for Kansas City with backing up Melia.

The two signings bring Kansas City up to 26 players under contract for the 2017 season, but KC will have an extra roster spot with Rubio on injured reserve. With Sporting KC having two picks in the upcoming Superdraft, and still a need to address midfield depth, there's not much space left on the roster at this point, unless KC is also going to move someone out.